Anyone have a/c problems with Honda Civic?

Asked by mamabrinks May 25, 2011 at 10:11 AM
about the 2010 Honda Civic Coupe LX

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

We have two 2010 Honda Civics and have this problem with both of them! After the car sits for a while in the hot sun, the a/c won't work when you start the car. It does start working again after you drive for a while. The first one it took us several attempts taking it to the dealers before they could figure out what was wrong with it. I am not sure how much they really looked until I brought it in and THEY saw the a/c not working. They then found it was a resistor. Now we are having a problem with the other Honda Civic, same problem...and the dealer wants us to keep bringing it in until they can get a code. Looking around online I find that there are others having this problem and that it has gone back for a few years. I wonder if this is a defect the Honda corporation knows about but it continuing to produce cars with it since it seems to only happen in warm climate areas?? Also, the dealership NEVER got a code with this problem on the first car, it was only through testing that they said it was the resistor!

291 Answers

I have a 2008 Honda Civic that is suffering the same problem. The A/C compressor will cycle for a few seconds and the air out of the vents is warm at best. Today, I kept cycling the temperature control knob from cold to warm and back. After 3-4 times, the A/C stayed on and blew cold air for the next hour. I feel that there is a short, or possible a bad resistor in the temp control. I have checked the freon level and it is full. Has to be electrical.

I have a 2007 Honda civic. My
problem started at 85k first with a
clutch relay switch problem. The 3
months later it went out and then
they said they had to put a software
patch on the clutch relay switch.
That lasted like 6 weeks, then the
compressor finally went out and I
filed a complaint with Honda of
America. Honda corporate refused to
acknowledge other Hondas with
similar issues, said 2007 ac issues
didn't have critical issues etc...etc..
After replacing my ac compressor
with my private mechanic since
Honda dealers wouldn't take
responsibility for the ac compressor
going out at 92k, my ac is not
working again after 90. The ac they
use in these Hondas just seems to
be defective and Honda will not do
anything about it or acknowledge it.
Unbelievable.

I have a 2007 Honda and one day I went to go start it and everything
and the car wouldn't start nor would the hood open to jump start the
car. I brought it to a mechanic and they just unhooked my a/c and the
car runs fine and everything. Before that the hot air wouldn't work nor
would the a/c and then there was a really bad smell. So they just
unplugged it and it works

I have a 2008 Honda Civic. The air conditioner randomly quits working from time to time. After I drive about 20 minutes, it usually comes back on. I KNOW it must be a defect that other Honda owners are having!! It really pisses me off!! Honda should recall our automobiles and fix our problem!

My 2008 Honda CIvic started having issues this year with the A/C. Took it to a mechanic this morning and he said it appears to be an electrical problem and the compressor isn't getting any juice. But he checked all the switches he could find and they all check out fine. He suggested I go somewhere that specializes in A/C. The blower works, but I just get hot air. I have not tried to run it for any length of time as suggested above, so I may try that and see what happens. I KNOW for a fact my cabin air filter needs replaced, but Wal Mart told me it wasn't anything that was going to cause issues, I just wouldn't be getting clean air into the cabin. If I replace this, could this be the cause of my problems???

I just heard from a friend that won repair bills in small claims court
against Niss secretary'sbe difficult to win or force American Honda to
accept responsibilty for the AC issues, but if you have your repair history,
you may be able to sue through state secretarys of states to force them
to pay. I tried going through American Honda, my dealership, neither one
took ownership of the problem. We can also try starting a group on
Facebook to publicize the pervasiveness of the problem. I firmly believe
that Honda uses the same ac compressor for multiple years and
models.If they do, they most likely would spend billions on a recall to fix
the issue.

I just heard from a friend that won repair bills in small claims court
against Nissan for defective issues. She said to make a complaint
through secretary's of states. It might be difficult to win or force
American Honda to accept responsibilty for the AC issues, but if you have
your repair history, you may be able to sue through state secretarys of
states to force them to pay. I tried going through American Honda, my
dealership, neither one took ownership of the problem. We can also try
starting a group on Facebook to publicize the pervasiveness of the
problem. I firmly believe that Honda uses the same ac compressor for
multiple years and models.If they do, they most likely would spend
billions on a recall to fix the issue.

I hv an '09 Civic and is now having
a/c problems. The buttons work,
but my air don't cut on and neither
does the hot or cold climate. I need
a whole new a/c controller. I'm
noticing many are having problems
with their air, and this also look like
a defect HONDA need to repair
instead of us

I have a 2008 Honda Civic LX that started acting up this year. It only
works when it wants to. I can hear what seems to be the motor running
on the ac but no air blows out. Also, my car just broke down. Cranks but
wont start and it only has 63,000 miles on it! What the heck is Honda
doing. They should be responsible for this! And my visor on the left side
has cracked as well. I've been doing a lot of research online have found
complaints. With just two websites totaling over 1300 complaints!!
Something needs to be done!

I also have a 2008 Honda Civic LX (with102,000 miles on it) and just spent over $1000 to replace the AC compressor at the Honda dealer (I know this dealership and their mechanics are reputable). The service technician told me that these breakdowns are not uncommon. My previous Civic's AC also seriously broke down at 160,000 miles. Consumer Report's frequency of repair charts show that AC has been a weak spot in Honda Civics for many years (although the Civic excels in almost every other mechanical function!). I agree with the other posts - why can't Honda get their act together and fix this obvious problem with their AC systems?

Hi Guys, I have had the same problem. My 2008 civic ex-l a/c died last summer at 100,000km. It would work great for 3 min blowing ice cold air and then all of a sudden hot humid air. It worked intermittantly, and especially did not work when the car was sitting in the sun at work all day. If I drove it out of my garage it would work for a few minutes until the car warmed up. I was told by a few people that it's the clutch arm on the compressor. The metal sets out from heat and the chamber doesn't close properly, thus it keeps letting hot humid air into the cooling system. Now this summer it doesn't work at all. I'm getting a diagnostic done by honda this week. But I've heard 2008 civic's have tons of compressor clutch issues....It's unbelievable that Honda knows the metal is defective on the clutch arm but would keep installing it.

I would check/replace the AC clutch or just the whole AC compressor assembly. After checking the coolant level and replacing the AC compressor relay, it's just age on the compressor clutch. Mine is over 102,000 miles when the clutch wore out.

My Honda Civic '08 a/c stopped working almost a year ago when the car did around 80,000 miles. I took it to my local mechanic who checked it and said the compressor is gone and would cost $1,150. Another chain also quoted around that. How do we band together and get Honda to do something about it?

My 2006 Honda Civic's air conditioning died yesterday 5 miles into a 65 drive home in 98 degree brutal Florida heat. The car barely has 60,000 miles on it. Brought it to my mechanic today (Honda certified and AAA approved) who is pretty honest although not cheap. He said it could be the compressor clutch (but he won't be sure until he replaces it for $1300, 1 yr. warranty. Alternatively he can replace the entire compressor and all related parts including the clutch for $1600, which will include a lifetime warranty on ALL parts. (I have been having issues with coldness of the AC for quite some time as well.) I told him to replace the whole compressor. Are the rates you guys are getting to replace the compressor inclusive of both parts and labor?
I would love to join a class action or other concerted effort to get Honda to pay for this.

I just got a $900 estimate to replace teh compressor in my '08 Civic. I am
not sure how to start a class action suit, or the requirements, but in the
meantime maybe we can gather some momentum from a facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/faultyhondacompressors ... If anyone wants to
help administer this and beautify it... let me know.

I have '08 Civic, my AC compressor broke down with 50K miles on my
vehicle. Honda Dealer is asking $1700 for AC compressor, clutch, coil set
replacement and metal contamination. Any help on how to address this
issue? Thanks

I live in Florida. So I paid that much--more with tax and a charge of $125 for the test that determined what was wrong with the a/c, I can't be without air conditioning, and my 2006 Civic barely has 60K on it. .It does sound like there are enough of us that we should pursue some collective action. Do we have any lawyers among us?

I got an answer from the Clark
Howard show call center and these
are some of the things we can do.
1) calling NADA (NATIONAL ASSOC
AUTO DELEARSHIP) 703-822-7144
2) BBB AUTO SECTION: 800-955-
5100
3) call the FTC: 877-438-4338
4) and the Lin Law Firm who is
investigating claims that they are
considering class action status
regarding Honda Civics air condesor
where debris hits the unit and
causes damage for vehicles under
warranty. But, they've already gotten
about a dozen calls, and are still
investigating the issue and it may
include the issues being discussed
on this thread as well, if enough
people are found to be affected:
909-595-5522. This should be a
start.

I'm joining your group! My 2009 Civic EX's AC compressor is coming apart from the inside, and metal shavings have contaminated the whole system, the mechanic (very reputable) told me it would be about $2500 to replace the whole system. They suggested I call Honda customer service to try to negotiate something. Also said I'd likely need to go to a Honda Dealer (they are a Honda/Acura shop). My car has 65,000 miles on it. I'm going to check out Jenny's info.

Same issues here. .. 07 Honda Civic with 75K mils.. . past 6 months,
intermittent cold/hot. Now, just hot. Still need to bring to mechanic, but
living in San Francisco, not a big deal with the cooler temps, but still
would like it fixed.

2008 Civic EX-L, 97k miles. Drove it 200 miles south to a job site this
morning. Never had a problem with the a/c until today - when I turned
the car on to head home, no air blowing out of the vents, regardless of
setting/temp. Sat in a gas station parking lot for a while to wait out a
storm, and took that opportunity to mess with the dials, try a few things,
looked at the fuses.. no clues as to the problem. Figured it was just dead
and decided to head home. But when I hopped on the highway, as I was
getting up to speed, suddenly the air kicked on. It worked the whole way
home, POSSIBLY a bit weaker than usual. I'm not sure it's even worth
going to a mechanic after reading the posts on here - I don't want to
shell out a bunch of cash only for it to stop working again in a few weeks
or months.

I see four numbers that was posted
by Jenny 2 weeks ago to call &
make a complaint to get this ball
rolling. First, the visors split after
being in heat and now my air has
gone out. I can proudly say this will
be my LAST Honda. My Kia didn't
give me this much trouble. I forgot
my motor mount messed up BUT,
fortunately, I was still under
warranty to get it fixed

I've been having issues with my 08 Honda Civic A/C for years. From
June to August the air works in the morning, then gets very little air in
the afternoon when its 115 degrees. (I'm from Vegas). Finally took it
in to a mechanic who said it was a charge in the air system, and got it
fixed for 120 bucks. But he also admitted that Civic's are horrible for
air conditioning. Saying the air will not be as good as a Toyota,
Hyundai or other Honda's.

I bought my 08 Honda Civic EX in
March of this year && everything
worked, until a couple of weeks
ago, my air started coming on every
now && then, && a week ago it just
quit, I've been with out air for a
week, what can be done about this
&& I also would like to know if there
are any other problems or recalls
we should know about??

I join the club with the same issue. I
have a Honda civic 2008 ex/l, never
had a problem until this summer. A/
C started to give up works whenever
it likes, past few days its completely
gone. I tried filling the freon but no
luck, I guess I'm heading for a big
repair. I agree Honda needs to come
up with a fix, I bought this car brand
new.

I have a 2006 Honda Civic and the AC stopped getting cool, more like
a humid mist of air. I took it to Dealer and was told i would have to
have it recharged before they could determine what was wrong with it.
after recharge it never worked, so i called dealer back and they 'took
another look at it' and said it needed a new compressor - quote was
$1350. Was talking to a guy at work and he has a 2008 Civic and his
ac is not working either and he was told it was a compressor. even if i
had the money to replace it and i am afraid it wont solve problem -
more of a temporary fix.

My wife and I have two 2008 Honda Civics (LX and EX-L). Both of them
have A/C problems, though most of the time it's the LX. It nearly
always happens when its been sitting in the sun in a hot parking lot.
It's been in the shop several times, had a transistor replaced, and had
the refrigerant replaced. Why the refrigerant? I was told there is a
safety feature that causes the A/C system to shut down if there is low
pressure. The problem is - none of that worked. It still intermittently
goes out, only to come on again later.
The Lin Law Firm comment mentioned above seems legit, in terms of
potential action. Look into it for yourself. The link is attached.
http://www.thelinlawfirm.com/honda-civic-ac-condenser-problems/

Continued from above - Some of you may also be interested in this if
you own an Odyssey, CR-V, or Acura TSX. The moral of the story: AC
problems are not new for Honda and they continue to deny there is a
problem.
http://www.topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-
news/1894-honda-air-conditioningcompressor-class-action-settlement

I am having the same A/C issues with my 2008 Honda Civic. About three months ago my A/C started working intermittently. The a/c works then about 10 to 20 minutes later stops working and blows hot air. After turning the a/c off sometimes it decides to work again and sometimes it doesn't. Recently I had the a/c off and the vents were still blowing hot air even though the evening air was cooler. Any idea how to get this fixed?

My A/C went out again last weekend on Saturday. By Sunday it was
back up and running again, all on its own and cold as ever. I took it
into the dealership this week for the third time with this same issue.
Once again, they were stumped after running a variety of automated
and manual electrical tests. All readings came back normal throughout
the day. Prior mechanical and pressure tests came back normal as
well. What the heck is it?!

Same here. I just bought honda civic 2010 3 weeks ago and I have same problem. I've notice that it was happening it it is above 75 degrees outside. Now i'm stuck. I am willing to join action law suit if this does'nt get fix by my dealer were I bought the car. I'm glad I visited this site.

We bought a 2009 honda civic and its doing the same thing; the a/c
either starts blowing hot air or sometimes it just won't come on all
together. Our car is always serviced on time (and documented) so its not
us not taking care of the vehicle. Very disappointing to see all these
complaints. This is definitely a Honda flaw.

We are having the same problems in our 2008 Civic. Our local mechanic
says he's pretty sure its a restriction in the system, caused by the
breaking of the bag that holds the desiccant (pellet drying agent). He
also said this can be caused by collisions. The car has never been
wrecked. This appears to be a chronic problem with Honda. $$$

2010 Civic and I had the entire compressor and clutch and the rest of the AC replaced at Honda dealership. Cost 980.00 bucks. worked for a year and half and now its totally shot again. checked all levels of coolant and took it for second opinion and the ac guy said it would be 800.00 to 1200.00 to repair. told me he'd have to pull the entire system. I have a line by line of what he would do. it matches what Honda already did a year and half ago. this should be recalled.

Pam-I have a 2008 Honda Civic with the same problem. I noticed a few weeks ago that the air would stop blowing cold and then start up again. Now on the way to work today it only blow warm air. I live in Florida but luckily it wasn't to hot today so I used outside air which was cooler than the ac air. I am very disappointed to hear of so many of the same problems. I have owned Honda's all my life and have always bragged on how dependable they are. Now I feel a little let down by the way Honda is handling this problem! I hope they will step up to the plate and take responsibility for this problem. Unfortunately someone usually has to die before they do it willingly. Good luck to everyone!

Same here. 2007 Honda Civic SI. At about 74000 miles I noticed that the AC would kick off in traffic. It got worse from there. Now, if I run the AC it works great for about 20 minutes. Then, the pump kicks off and blows warm air. We recharged the system but that didn't fix it.

The 2009 Honda Civic I bought for my daugher 5 years ago has started having A/C problems. The first was the relay switch - $12 part and $200 labor at the Honda dealership. Now the a/c works intermittently - sometimes it works (fan blowing) and other times it doesn't (no fan blowing). There does not seem to be a rhyme or reason as to when it works. The Honda dealer denies any common a/c problems, as many have stated before. I would like to be a part of the class action lawsuit if it materializes.

Update - both of our 2008 Civics are still having issues, even after
numerous visits to the dealership. It has gotten to the point that the
dealership does not even charge us the diagnostic fee anymore
because they cannot figure it out. In both Civics, the heater works but
A/C condenser and blower are intermittent (not always both at the
same time). Man up, Honda.

Lin Law Firm - If you are a recent visitor, please post here but also
head to the Lin Law Firm website and submit a form for your scenario -
even if you are outside of the stated 2009-2012 in the description. They
are currently researching this general Honda issue.
http://www.thelinlawfirm.com/honda-civic-ac-condenser-problems/

Jenny, please do - you're welcome. It is only their research at this point -
nothing formal - so it may change over time. I do not fit the description
exactly either, but went ahead and put my info into their system just in
case.

Thanks again. I just submitted mine
too. Thanks again. Here's the link for
everyone else. I posted it as well on
my Facebook page. This might
spread like wild fire if people share it
on Facebook.
http://www.thelinlawfirm.com/
honda-civic-ac-condenser-
problems/

I am having the same issues with my 2006. I haven't taken it in yet... was going to wait, but it is SO warm here still. It makes me so mad. I had the issue with Camber arm as well and had to shell out $$$ for a new one and new tires all the time. Now there is a class action law suit on that. I probably wont buy an Honda again. Ill let yall know how the AC issue turns out. I called them and they did admit an issue with Civics and AC, but said it could cost $200-$3000.

My experiences so far with my '06 Civic EX:
-I do not drive agressively at all, but I seem to go through more tires than a Formula One racer. I heard rumors the rear axel is an inch or two too short and causes uneven tire wear.
-My transmission gave out at ~150,000km. Got the replaced because I only had the car for 3 years.
-A/C system: for 1-2 years now my fan blower randomly comes on and off regardless if the AC button is pressed. For 6-9 months now I have been hearing grinding from what I know now is the compressor. Today it seized, and I'm at about 280,000 km. This blew my alternator belt at probably the most inconvenient time possible. I decided that instead of replacing this POS AC system (that will fail in a year anyway) to get the shorter belt and bypass it altogether.
Needless to say; Honda should be ashamed of themselves and I will seriously consider any other car company before I purchase another Honda.

My wife's '06 Civic just started having this problem. The first place she took it to suggested it was a compressor (gulp). We took it to another garage closer to home for inspection and estimate, and he said it was almost certainly NOT the compressor but some electrical short or ground problem or something causing the AC to not work properly. (I should add they charged us nothing for their time.) He suggested we need to take it to a Honda dealer because it seems like a rather specialized problem.
We've had other electrical issues with this car in the past: the CD and radio stopped working for a while as none of the controls (volume, tuner, CD buttons) worked. They started working again a little while later. The auxiliary jack stopped working about three years ago and still doesn't work. There's clearly and electrical and/or computer problem in this thing, I think.

My '07 Civic has worked like a charm for the five years I've owned it.
Unusually cold winter here in Memphis. All of a sudden my car is
sluggish on starting after sitting for hours in the cold. New battery Aug
'13; took car back to place where battery purchased; had them replace
it in Dec '13. Still sluggish start. Today I took it back to Honda dealer
who has just quoted me $135 to replace A/C clutch main relay switch.
It was draining my battery!!!! the only problem I've had with A/C is that
musty smell mentioned above. I will pursue this further as I don't have
$135 to throw away. Thanks to all of you for your posts. My "family"
mechanic had never heard of such a problem and neither had I !!!

Hi Mark
I had a battery problem and had them put in a new one yesterday, this morning my battery was dead. I returned to the Honda dealership and was told that my AC was running continuous even with the key turn off. He told me my switch in the car was not shutting down properly and said they would have to replace my ac switch inside the car but it came as a complete unit therefore the cost would be $ 364.00.
My question is this something that could be a defect and should I Honda dealer to investigate further for this defective switch..

Owner of 2010 Civic. A/C problems like everyone else. My heat always
works if I turn it on... but the A/C works whenever it feels like it. At first
the A/C would stop working when I was on a long trip... but seemed to
"reboot" if I shut down the car and restarted it. Then one day seemingly
out of the blue the intermittent a/c troubles started. When it does work,
it's wonderfully cold.. when it doesn't... I live in FL... and summer is
coming... no a/c is a beast. I have an appointment at the Honda dealer
tomorrow. From the posts here... I'm not too hopeful... but did go to the
law firm link mentioned above and added my name to the list.

Jenny.....we have a 2012 Honda Civic Coupe....haven't had it for 9 months....a/c worked perfectly last Summer when we bought the car....tried to use the a/c for the first time this year today and no a/c.....nothing but warm air......I wish I would have seen this before and I would NEVER had bought another Honda.....had a Honda Civic prior to this one....it was a 1998 with 250,000 miles on it so I thought that when the a/c started acting up a couple years ago AFTER sitting in the hot sun for awhile...that it was just the age and mileage....tried replacing many things and nothing would work....sometimes it would come on in the mornings after sitting in the garage all night.....but sure enough...once it set outside in the sun while I was at work....it would not come on.....so finally decided to buy this 2012....and like I said...worked perfect last Summer.....and now coming into a/c season....I'll be dang if NO a/c today!!!! I'm so upset....please let me know if you all are filing a class action and I'm IN on it!!! I still have the older Honda and that will be included too....however a 2012 having this issue?? Give me a break!!! Honda HAS to know that this is a issue and yet they are not addressing it or having a recall? Like I said...I wish I would have seen this thread prior to buying this second Honda!! What is the lastest feedback anyone has gotten? Thanks for any information!

I've got a 2008 civic lx with 90k. My compressor just won't turn off. Ever. Its wreaking havoc on my battery and completely throwing my idle off when it releases pressure to the point of stalling constantly. I can't even drive it now. I'm guessing its a relay problem. Or the clutch is just stuck open. I'm gonna try replacing the relay first, hopefully that does the trick. Anyone else have this problem?

My A/C in my 2007 Honda Civic went out a year ago. Took it to a
mechanic and they said mechanical failure. Not sure how this
happened. I live in Southern California, so no a/c is not an option! I
would like to add to this list. I have owned three prior Honda's, with no
problems. I bought the 2007 brand new and within two years needed a
new engine. YES, A NEW ENGINE. Apparently, my car was on a line
that the engine was not sealed properly. Since then, I have received
letters on several recalls; first the engine (now Honda has extended
the warranty to 8 years from the date of purchase), then the paint job
(didn't get that one right either-anyone's paint look like its fading away
or acid has been dropped on it? Blame Honda, they weren't painted
right, also Honda will repaint, but you will not get a rental from them
since "Honda is being proactive in fixing the problem", as the dealer
states), visors- let's talk about these cheap things, anyone's visor split
and falling off? Yes, they have been recalled too! Don't let me forget
your tires might be wearing too! Oh yeah, there's a problem in the
axle or something. You may be able to get some money back if you
bought lots of tires AND KEPT THE RECEIPT! If I get one more recall
item, I am going to scream. I will NEVER EVER EVER buy a Honda
again. I know some say they fixed it right? Yes, they did, but on some
things they were difficult and honestly if I buy a new car I don't want
several issues with it.

Took my 2007 Civic Si in for this issue, to a shop I trust very much.
Explained how my AC would work for 10 minutes, than would shut off,
especially if it was hot out or car was idling. They found the problem
and said it is common with the Civic and there is a TSB issued for it.
The AC Relay breaks and stays open. This causes the AC Clutch
Solenoid to get blasted with electricity and it eventually fails. The fix
for me was a new AC Clutch Solenoid, AC Clutch, and AC Relay.
$1,000 to fix.

I have a 1999 Honda Civic model and I am experiencing the same with
aircon issues. Whenever it's really traffic or the car is slow moving, aircon
suddenly releases warm air! We checked the freon level and it's still
okay. But why Honda. :(

Hello. I also have a 2008 honda civic with the same ac problems. Has
anything ever been resolved with this issue? Is there any formal
complaint to Honda being organized? I would ver much like to
participate.

I am having the same issues with my 2010 Honda Civic DX. The AC
has been making some strange noises since I replaced my Air Filter.
Had it checked several times, and was told it was just trash in the
system, but would not cause any problems. Last week my ac was
working in the morning, but not in the afternoon or evening. Then my
battery started to be drained over night and had to be jumped. I have
had the battery checked by two separate mechanics and the battery is
in perfect condition, however it would not start in the mornings for three
days straight. I unplugged the positive side of my battery one night
and reconnected it the next morning and the car started right up. My
car was also start to sputter like it was going to cut off at stop lights or
when idling during a turn when I would go to try to accelerate.
everything seems so random that I was assuming it was an electrical
or computer related issue until reading these posts. Now I am not
sure what to do/try. I filed my comments with the law firm. Knowing
that the class action process takes years, what should we do in the
meantime if buying a new vehicle is not an option? I do not want to
have to replace the entire system, but would like more info on the relay
and switch comments above. My AC will blow cold air in the afternoon
at times when the switch is turned off..but blows hot air when the
switch is on. I am frustrated and have no clue what to try next.

I have a 2002 Honda Civic EX and I
brought my car in for routine
maintenance and the mechanic tells
me I need my ac compressor
replaced for $1400. My AC pumps
out cold air perfectly but I did notice
my car makes a noise when I flip it
on. Not a very noticeable noise. I
don't really even use the air
conditioning so would it be
detrimental if I don't replace it?

I own a 2008 honda civic. Bought it brand new from a dealership in Houston. Motor mount broke, paint has been recalled, and now the a/c problem. All these issues seem to be familiar with all the unfortunate HONDA owners on this forum. Glad to say this will be my last honda to ever own.

I own 2008 honda civic.Last year our a/c started to stop working in the middle of drive.It did work later.We took it to the dealer,they could not find anything wrong,we paid for diagnostic test.This year it does not work most of the time and if does then blow of the air is slow,after few minutes it stops working and hot air comes out.We are taking this car to the dealerI for another test.I will write a letter to Honda Canada seeking answers to this issues.

I own a 2008 Honda Civic and my air conditioner stopped working in the middle of a drive. Every time it would get very hot out it would stop working for a short period of time but this time it's just blowing out warm air. I know there was no leak because my Freon is full. How can I go about getting involved in
a class action law suite??

So it doesn't sound like anyone has a fix to this. The compressor gets replaced but then breaks later. The blower gets fixed and again breaks later. AC compressor, clutch, coil set replacement doesnt sound like it works either.
So before I bring my car to the shop, which will probably have the AC working when it goes of coarse, what is the magic fix?
My AC will just randomly turn off. Sometimes it takes a minute to come back on, sometimes it takes a whole drive home. Doesn't happen that often, but we've had it recharged already. The cabin filter has been changed recently but I will do that again when I get home. The lights on our factory radio are out and have been a long time, but just makes me wonder if it's a short in the electrical somewhere?
I had this same problem in my xterra, but after awhile it actually started overheating - If I recall correctly, it was the radiator or something and the AC has worked fine ever since. So whats' the likely hood that it's a small radiator leak????????
And my stupid visor is broken too - but I doubt they will fix that now. I have a 2007 civic with 150k on it or so?

My 2007 Honda Civic Si has 69,500 miles and the A/C just started
messing up. It blows cold then out of nowhere it starts blowing hot. It is
driving me crazy so I brought it to the dealership for repair. Its been at
the dealership for 3 days now and they still can't figure out what is going
on. Im getting frustrated.

2009 Honda Civic, Idles rough when coming to a complete stop, AC been cold especially on 100 F deg temps. Left the car in the garage and took the motorcycle. Following morning Civic won't start, dead battery. Charged the battery, then the AC compressor relieve valve shot freon out. Felt the clutch compressor and it was warm. Unplug the wires from the compressor and then heard a clicking noise. Clutch compressor was always on thus draining the battery.
So here's my lesson learned:
1) If car idles rough when coming to a complete stop then stop driving car and do simple trouble shooting. Otherwise you will have to spend more $$$ for repairs.
2) With key out of ignition, unplug an plug wire connector to AC compressor. If you hear a clicking noise then AC Clutch Relay is stuck close causing the clutch to engage the compressor.
3) Unplugging compressor wire connector will disable power to clutch. Sorry no AC for this moment but this will allow you to drive your vehicle. Replace the AC Clutch Relay then connect your compressor wire connector.
4) WARNING ... if you drive your car with the clutch engage full time you will blow the compressor relieve valve. What that means is that now you have to recovery your freon 134A, replace the compressor relieve valve, evacuate the system, add oil, then recharge system.
Wish I had known this symptoms now I have to spend more $$$$.

My fiancé has a 2008 Civic (I think that is the year) and it has had a similar set of issues. First the AC would cut on whenever it wanted so I had her take it to the dealer and of course it was fine when they looked at it. The problem repeated and the same course of action was taken but this time it was not working while in the dealer’s care and it was a $60 problem, a relay if I recall. Next the ac blew nothing but warm air no matter the temp control. I did notice that on max AC it was more likely to stay warm than it would if just left alone. So of course it was taken to the dealer and the compressor and coils where replaced(about 900 bucks to fix). Two weeks later the car isn’t blowing anything at all. I was told over the phone that it may be a resistor behind the blower which is known to have issues anytime there was ac problems or work. My guess if this is true is that it is a faulty resistor that when at the end of its life cycle is not producing the right amount of voltage that is need to operate the ac causing sparatic times of operation and irregular commands to the cpu or rest of the ac circuit when to be cold or how high the fan speed is etc. I plan to investigate before spend any more money. Also if you have not had this happen at around 10,000 (10K) miles the engine block cracks. This is a defect arugment that I won and Honda replaced the motor at thier expense.

sounds like I have the exact same issue as all of you, $1293 repair bill. I'm in Canada. I assuming everyone in this forum is from the US. I'll be looking to see if there is a similar suit being considered in Canada.

2008 Honda civic with similar issues. Freon level is full. I live in Mississippi and we are having 90+ degrees now. AC will work just fine at night and even when it's overcast. However, as the day heats up and the sun is out, my AC will begin to blow warm air. I shut off the AC and wait about 5 minutes, turn the AC back on and voila (!) the AC begins to blow cold air. At times, it takes a little longer. The warm air episodes are getting closer together. Also, a strange occurrence...when it blows warm air...and right before the air blows cold again...there is a strange smell. Reminds me of an old AC window unit smell. Does this sound familiar with anyone else? I am in an area in MS that has very limited (only 2 actually) mechanics that will work on a Honda. A two hour trip away to take it to a dealer.....so I am trying to gather information before I make the trip.

I have a 08 Honda Civic which I bought new off the lot & I've had problems with the A/C from the start.I took it back a few months later to the dealer & they had it check out & everything was ok according to them.Four days ago I took it in to a service shop for A/C service for which I was charged $100.95 & was told the compressor was out, I took it in this this morning to have it replaced for a total of $824.08 on the way home (30 mi trip)it started blowing hot again ! I called the mechanic shop where they worked on it & now i got to take it in once more.It seems that we are all experiencing the same problem & WE ALL NEED TO GET TOGETHER ! & make Honda own up toi this defective A/C system ASAP !

2008 honda civic with 110k miles.
A/C worked great last summer. It
wasn't working so far this summer. I
tried to put refrigerant in it but it was
full. Then I found this post and
realize it is a very common problem.
I cleaned the cabin air filter and
messed with the temp control. The
a/c started working. This makes me
think it is electrical. Is a new
compressor the best fix for this or is
it something else? I'm gonna sign
the class action lawsuit right away.

I have a similar situation with my 99 Civic. When it's super traffic,
aircon will emit hot air. But when I drive fast after that traffic jam, it will
blow cold air again. But lately, even if I speed up after emitting warm
air, it won't get cold! Had it estimated to different aircon specialist
shops. They all have different opinions. Then, we had it repaired and
they changed the compressor pulley/bearing assembly. After that, I
didn't have problems anymore with my aircon. NOT IT'S FIXED AND
I'M HAPPY :)

Folks, add another one to the list with the same kind of issues that
you all mentioned above. I have a 2008 Civic LX with 102,000 miles in
Massachusetts area. The issue started last summer(2013) where my
a/c stopped working so I took it took a local mechanic thinking it
needed a re-charge. The mechanic called me back and said after he
played with the fuses/relay etc.. it just started working again. That
cost me $100 bucks but it kept working for the remainder of summer
2013.
When the hot weather started again this year (2014), I started my a/c
and lo and behold, it stopped working again! Having done more
research on threads like these, I decided to play with the car myself a
bit more. I figured out that if I pulled the relay switch out a little bit, the
compressor would start running and cold air would start blowing. For a
few days, it was intermittent where I could hear the compressor
kicking in sometimes and then again shutting off. Then for a few days,
it worked like there was no issue!
Finally, when the weather turned really hot again, it stopped working
completely and now this whole week it hasn't worked at all.
So I finally caved in and took it to the dealer and told them my sob
story. They comforted me with a new compressor for $1237!
If a class action does start, do count me in!

I had the intermittent ac problem on my 2008 civic and fixed it with a belt
sander. Determined it was the clutch gap when I ran the ac and put a
steel rod carefully down next to the clutch while the ac was turned on and
the clutch was disengaged. The rod stuck to the clutch - clutch coil
working. Removed clutch through wheel well - take off tire and remove a
couple of fasteners holding a plastic splash guard in place, clutch is right
there! Removed the clutch plate and shortened the hub (with a sander lol)
to narrow the clutch gap back down to normal. Reassembled and it
works perfectly! Total cost $0.00 plus 2 hours of my time.

I have a 2006 Honda Civic LX with 115k on it. My compressor just fried last week. They want $1300 for a new one. I refuse to pay it, I'll just deal with the 90 degree heat. This is clearly a problem that Honda has not taken responsibility for. I've had nothing but problems with this Honda since the day I bought it. Honda quality and durability has gone right down the toilet. I will never buy another Honda again. I'll gladly join any class action lawsuit for the a/c compressors.

FedUpWithHonda -- I'm with you. My last car was a Honda Accord and ended up having a similar issue costing me about $1k. I thought it was a one time thing and bought the Civic after it and now also had the same issue again!
I too will not buy a Honda again.

I was here about a month ago with
the same AC issues. My daughters
06 civic she bought over the winter.
We never realized in March that it
wasn't working here in upstate NY.
I am a decent mechanic so what I
found was it had a perfectly good
charge as in no leaks. The lights on
the dash worked when I switched it
- the clutch would not engage the
compressor. I tested at the clutch
and found voltage when the switch
was on and off as it should.
I decided to take a gamble it was
just the clutch. I found one on eBay
for 109 shipped. I had to remove a
couple of splash shields - and even
unbolt the compressor to clear the
clutch parts of the frame. The good
part was I never had to let the
refrigerant out. With a couple of
sockets and some basic hand tools
and snap ring pliers I was able to
swap the old clutch. It works
beautifully now. And it didn't cost
1300

Hi all of you disgruntled Honda owners,just to let you all know that I've takened my 08 civic to the same shop where i had the compressor changed to have it checked out again as it was still throwing hot air intermittently & still no cold air ! the mechanics are all very helpful & understanding of my concerns with this problem.They have tried different ways of repairing my A/C all to no avail as of this date,but they informed me that they will work with it until they can get it to work satisfactory my only problem is that this is a 60 plus mile round trip & with todays gas prices it hurts a little lol ! But I will continue to seek a remedy to this problem.I took notes on alot of the feedback I've gotten & i will submit these to the mechanics.Please,please lets all get together & force Honda to accept responsibility for this & reimburse us all for our costs !Lets get this class action suit started ASAP !

Hi,
I have a 2007 Honda civic and no AC! It only had 55,000 miles on it. They told me at the very least it will cost 175. and the most will be in the 800's. Meanwhile, I won't have a car, but the dealership will lease me a car for 30.00 a day while they work on mine.
I don't want to pay that much money as I believe that Honda should take responsibility for it. Glad I saw these posts. Any word on a class action suit? What about Move On? We can all sign a petition to get Honda to do something.

Hey guys saw your post re: class action suit against Honda,well let me say that Moveon.org is a start we can all try going this way.Its worth a shot cause I'm fed up with paying for something that is not getting fixed !

My 2007 Civic started experiencing the A/C problems when it had about
30K miles. It starts out blowing warm air and takes about 20 minutes to
start blowing cold air ...or not. It's very iffy. One hot summer trip across
Washington state, it didn't start blowing cold air until Snoqualmie
Pass...where it was cooler anyway. It took 200 miles. One interesting
thing: lately I leave all the A/C buttons in the ON position when I start the
car up and it seems to start blowing cold air sooner. But that could
change tomorrow. Also, it has to be the MAX/AC. I'm annoyed that the
problem started when the car had less than 30k miles. And had not run
the A/C that much being in the Seattle area. Not right... The dealer
wasn't helpful!

I have 2008 civic honda. I have problem with the zircon. When outside
temperature is too hot (95 degree F) the aircon blows hot air instead of
cool air. When I took it to Honda dealer they said it is the compressor.
They charge me 1000K +. I will join the bandwagon for a clash action
against Honda.

Hi you all ! I'm very happy to hear that most,if not all of us, have agreeded on the same solution to this on going problem with Honda's A/C & that is to start a class action suit against Honda & make them pay or reimburse ,those of us who have paid to try to fix this problem.It seems that we all are having the same problem with the A/C & it blowing HOT air !! BTW i'v got another appointment with the shop who installed the compressor to try & find out what is causing it to blow hot air when its really hot outside.All i can say is that i'm glad that they are working with me on trying to find a solution to this on going situation.

I have an 06 civic with the same problem. Dealer quoted me $850 for a
new compressor. Called Meineke and they said the compressor is $115
but they would have to look at it to quote the labor. 130k miles on the
car. The horn intermittently just beeps as well. It really hasn't been a
bad car though, just the basic maintenance until now.

I'm a retired a/c refrigeration person. My daughter in Laws has a 07 honda with A/c problems also. Works then stops.This type of problem must be in the controls. Not the compressor. After looking at the schematic I believe the problem is the evaporator Temperture Sensor which is located in the evaporator and very Time comsuming to change. The part is only $25 but the labor in the hundreds. That could be why honda looks the other way.

My 2008 civic ex air just went, i have about 80,000 miles. But i also had a blown engine at 35,000 miles. Which honda fixed, only after my dad about ripped the mechanics head off that suggested it would not be covered by warranty.... anyways. I had the $125 test done and it came back fine. I also have had an issue for awhile now where my dash/radio lights come on and off and some lights on the radio do not work at all. The mechanic is going to try rewiring to see if this is an issue. Im not good with "cars" and my dad passed away last year so i dont know if this is a good decision. All and all whether it works or not, the A/c test as well as the wiring will total $300. I hate this car. It has been down grated to my husbands "beater" but even a beater needs A/C when its in the 90's

I'm super glad I found this thread of Honda Civic complaints. I have an
07 Civic EX, bought new off the lot and 3 years later, I moved to
S.Florida and the AC kept shutting off in 80+ degree weather! We took
it into the local dealer since we still had warranty (thank God) and they
couldn't figure out the problem as they kept telling us to return when
the AC shuts off versus while it's working. Service Dept decided it was
the AC "blower" behind the glove box. They replaced it and it works
great until now Spring 2014. I first noticed the problem when turning on
the Max AC, my passengers claimed it wasn't blowing as cold as Max
AC should go (mind you the South gets 90+ temps). In Spring 2014,
just 3.5 yrs after getting the "blower" replaced the AC would shut off
on its own, then start back up and eventually blow hot outside air at
me. My local Houston Honda dealer couldn't find the problem again,
charging up the AC and claiming it was a minor leak. After a second
look, the service guys decided it was the AC clutch and coils and it's
an $880 job. -- Pisses me off that Honda obviously has a defective AC
unit installed in our vehicles and I don't see signs of a recall? I am
reading some of you have this issue at 85k miles and while I don't
recall the mileage at 3 yrs when the initial problem started. 3 years is a
relatively YOUNG car for defects.
American Honda Motor Co..We need a FREE AC unit replacement or
the replacement money BACK!!

Hi Wendy, isnt it frustrating that Honda Motors will not accept blame on this defective A/C units.Like I said before my Honda Civic was showing this problem right off the lot & I returned it & had it checked out & they said all was good with it.But I live in California & the summers are scorchers & I have to put up with my A/C blowing hot air as soon as the temperature rises ! I've already invested over a $1000 on repairs to it and yet it remains the same,& like you I think Honda should accept responsibilty & either fix this problem or reimburse us.

(call these numbers; they're trying to get us our money back and will complain to Honda)BBB AUTO SECTION: 800-955- 5100 3) call the FTC: 877-438-4338 4) and the Lin Law Firm who is investigating claims that they are considering class action status regarding Honda Civics air condesor where debris hits the unit and causes damage for vehicles under warranty. But, they've already gotten about a dozen calls, and are still investigating the issue and it may include the issues being discussed on this thread as well, if enough people are found to be affected: 909-595-5522. This should be a start.

If all of the people who posted call the BBB, and the FTC something will be done. Keep your receipts and any money you spent on having your a/c repaired. BBB will send you a form to fill out in which you will have to attach receipts. Let's get this moving.

I just found out my 2012 Honda Civic LX had the A/C problem. I was
told "the compressor didn't turn on" after A/C performance check and
the total cost of replacing one (refurbished not even brand new
compressor) plus labor is over $1100. Considering the mileage is
below 15000 miles, this "brand new" car is running without AC in such
hot weather. I do believe this is "factory defect" of Honda Civic after
reading above posts.

It's sad that a majority here have to rely on a mechanic to troubleshoot AC problems and pay $$$ for repairs. Fortunate I am that I am mechanically incline and have YouTube as well as Google for DIY and troubleshooting answers. I have to wonder if these shops charge $$$ for something such as a compressor just to turn a profit when it could be a simple part such as the AC relay. Again, I just wonder.

@Jeerry. I can only speak for myself but I checked to see if my Civic was low on R134a, a/c relays, blown fuses. This is my second Honda Civic. My first Civic was a '95 and the compressor blew at 110k, my 2006 Civic has blown it's compressor (I'm pretty sure it's the a/c compressor clutch) at 115k . Reading this forum, it's almost like Honda Civic compressors have a self destruct sequence on them. For Honda it's probably one of their big money generators, so they intentionally make the compressors knowing they will burn out somewhere between 80k-120k miles and for some people even earlier than that.

@FedUpWithHonda, Here's what I think is going on based on my experience and other replies. The AC relay contact is under rated and is not capable of handling the current draw. When this happens the relay contacts are stuck closed (fused together) thus causing the AC compressor clutch to stay energized. The results are, the magnetic coil that operates the clutch burns up and it is cost effective for the repair shop to replace the entire AC compressor then repairing it. Hence the huge price tag. If what I conclude is what's happening, then the temporary solution would be to install a indicating light/led in the dash board to monitor the 12 VDC power going to the AC compressor clutch. If the indicating light/led stays continuously on, then the AC relay is defective. This will be the first clue to get it replace and saviing the AC compressor magnetic coil or AC compressor.

Hey guys I find all this feedback very interesting & very helpful ! Be assured that I will call these numbers & I urge all the rest of you who are having problems to do the same. Hopefully we'll get some answers or better yet a remedy to our problem & also get some reimbursement of what we've spent already ! Thanks to all of you who are following these threads & for all the support we've given each other.

I am also experiencing the same problems with my 2006 Civic EX. The
A/C only works for the first few minutes the car runs and then shuts off
for hours. At first Due to the length of time the compressor remained
cut off I decided to test the thermal protection saftey on the
compressor, however after bypassing that it is clear that it is
something else. The only other thing I could think of is the evaporator
temperature sensor. A retired HVAC mechanic stated earlier that a
defective evaporator temperature sensor is probably the problem and
being a HVAC technician myself that is also the conclusion I have
come to. It is an absolute nightmare to fix as he suggested.To get to
the sensor I will literally have to rip the whole dash out. If it was the
sensor it is not cutting the A/C back on as the coil warms up which
has me worried because the evaporator heating up should cut the
compressor back on. At any rate this Honda has really ticked me off
and I don't see me doing any repeat business with them!!

Honda Civic – Defective Air Conditioning System.
Recently having intermittent AC problems with Honda Civic 2007 with 122K miles. Cabin air filter is good. Added one can R-134a refrigerant. No apparent leaks. Under normal driving conditions with outside temperature 90 degrees/humidity 45% Honda Civic air condition starts blowing hot air.
Upon engine compartment inspection AC hoses running to interior evaporator unit are hot. Air compressor clutch is not engaged. AC high and low pressure reads abnormal 125/125 psi. Refrigerant is not circulating through the system and AC blows hot air.
After engine cool down air compressor clutch is engaged. AC high and low pressure reads normal 200/36 psi. Refrigerant is circulating and AC blows cold air.
Discovered many posts relating to defective Honda Civic AC compressors with repair costs of over $1000. Do not believe this system should prematurely fail. Plan to contact Honda directly to determine the outcome of this problem. Thank you

same thing here!! i have a 2006 honda civic. when my car sits in hot
sun and i go to turn it on. the AC doesn't work at all nothing blows out.
until i start driving or running it for 20 mins.. i took it to the car
dealership 4 times already and they replaced relay and electrical panal
at AC knobs.. still doesn't work. only way anything would show up on
there electrical test is if i get it up to the honda dealership before it
starts working agian.. luckly for me it started happening a day after i
bought the car so it has been free no charge! but getting ready to take
car back and trade in for another vehicle.. car only has 39,000 for a 06
so i hate to get rid of it due to such low miles... any one figure it out
yet????

Did some troubleshooting and discovered a defective AC compressor clutch relay. Had no voltage to compressor clutch (blue/red wire at connector). Swapped ac condenser fan relay and clutch relay (same type relays). System now appears to be functioning. Kind of weird because ac compressor fan motor runs with suspect relay. Stand-down on bashing Honda as I can handle changing a relay. Helps to have repair manual with schematics, technical knowledge, and tools. Plan replace relay part # Mitsuba 7001 2 6020, and monitor system operation.

@ Charles, Although the compressor clutch relay worked on the Condenser fan relay it is still bad. Place an ohm meter on the contact side and measure the resistance. Apply 12 vdc to the coil side to energize the relay. The ohm meter should read 0 ohms ± the meter lead resistance. If you have a high resistance, then the contact side of the relay has a built up of carbon causing a high resistance. This is the best way to troubleshoot a relay and not by swapping it to another circuit/section.

You are right the coil resistance reads good. And because it is an intermittent problem indications are the contacts are in fact bad. I could test it in a test bed, but would rather just replace it. The swap method was the fastest and easiest. As long as you know what you are doing. I had the schematic, and was able to isolate both circuits. The reason the ac condenser fan stills runs is because the circuit is in parallel with another fan control relay.

I have a 2008 civic. Same problem as all of you. I have read a lot of
responses but if someone could repost where I should sign or call to get
this fixed etc. I live in florida and its summer and hot! Thank you.

Your best bet is a repair garage or Honda dealer. I am currently troubleshooting an AC problem and not sure the AC compressor is the fault. Have read many posts and appears it is typical worst case. Replacement compressors run $200-500, and labor $500-800. Furthermore, because the problem is not safety related, Honda may never do a recall. Hope this helps.

WoW ! Charles thats hard to swaollow,saying Honda may never do a recall on this on going problem with the A/C . I really hope Honda does not ignore all of us who are having this problem.I'm totally with Kurtisfromva & never purchasing another Honda product,btw,this is my 3rd & last honda !!.I dont think we are bashing Honda without merit this is a very frustrating problem.I'm having to endure over a 100 degree heat here in California & if Honda would at the most look into it ,I for one would be so happy ! Well all there is for me to do at this time is to continue to try & have it repaired,& guys & gals all your input is very helpful & i hope one of the suggestions will be the answer to our problems ...Thanks to all of you !!

Hi all. Well, I lucked out in the ac dept
if you call it luck. I was in an accident
in Feb, totalled my Honda Civic and
was forced to purchase a new one.
But, ended up getting a Saturn Ion 06
two months prior to the recalls being
publicized. But, good news is my
Saturn drives well, has 78k miles and
I purchased the extended warranty
which mean the most I'll be paying
for high priced engine or car issue is
the deductible. Gets great mileage.
Air works better than the Honda ac
ever did. It's kinda bad you see
totalling your vehicle as a good
thing, especially since it was paid
off. Good luck everyone. I keep
reading your posts and if ever they
decide to take responsibility for the
issue, I'll be there to testify.

Honda will end up costing themselves so much more money by not fixing these air conditioning issues. I've been driving Honda cars since I turned 16 in 1998, but I will never ever buy another Honda car again after two Civics in a row blew their compressor. If you look at the reviews of 8th generation Honda Civics (that's models 2006-2011), they've had a plethora of problems. On mine I've had the visor recall, rear upper control arm design flaw that caused tires to wear out sooner, and a bad coolant sensor. 8th generation Honda Civics are also a risk for a cracked engine block caused buy Honda not properly sealing things. They did extend the warranty on the engines for my 2006 Civic for 10 years and unlimited miles, but a month before that warranty expires at the beginning of 2016....it's goodbye to Honda forever!

I've had the exact same issues along
with the visor, control arm, ac, and I
didn't have the cracked engine block,
but I was using too much oil for the
age of the car. Like I said. I'm lucky I
totaled my car, and the control arm
issue was a joke because they didn't
pay me anything on the tires I went
through. Honda use to stand behind
their products. Not anymore. I feel
lucky to have my Saturn despite the
ignition switch recall because I get
great gas mileage and my ac works
great.

I have a 2010 Honda Civix with 18K miles A/C like all of he previous comments DOES NOT WORK! I checked the freon and the condensor fan everything seems to work. The blower inside works great however it ends up blowing Hot Air. The low pressure line gets cold in the engine compartment, it appears that the hot water does not shut off to the cabin area. I'm now in the process of rotating the temperature selector to see if there's flaw it could be the resistor that is mentioned in previous blogs. It definetly looks like a recall is in order. I will sign unto the legal process.

The failed part was luckily a $20 compressor relay. The relay turns the compressor on and off to control coolant flow. The relay is in the engine compartment fuse box on the driver’s side, #12 in attached drawing.

... I should add that Honda had already convinced me to replace the
compressor relay for $25 after charging me the diagnostic fee and telling
me "This is soooo strange, these things normally go forever! You must be
hard on it!"

Still monitoring the initial problem with relay, to see if there may be further issues (2007 Honda Civic over 122K). Believe AC Compressor relay failed under normal wear and tear. Relay contacts wear over time, just like the contacts of a point distributor in older cars, points and condenser must be replaced at regular maintenance intervals. Then again the AC compressor coil acts like a giant resistor, over time resistance may increase causing more current draw. Eventuality the compressor can go bad. There are Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) on electrical for this model year, but nothing on air conditioning really jumped out at me. TSBs are recommended steps and procedures for repairing vehicles. See: http://www.edmunds.com/car-maintenance/guide-page.html So far the relay has fixed the problem, thanks.

Several posts indicate mechanical verses electrical failure on later model Honda Civics The AC compressor wears out internally and contaminates the system. Compressor, condenser, and potentially other components in the system require replacement. Metal particles circulating internally are a bad thing. This can be caused by manufacture defects, machine tolerances, improper lubrication, or a number of other factors. This is probably worst case. This can also cause excessive current draw, causing relays and compressor control coils to go bad.

I have a 2008 Honda Civic LX at
about 90,000 miles my AC started
acting up and not blowing cold
when the RPMs were low. When I
was driving it blew cool but not
nearly as cold as it used to. I
brought it to a mechanic they
replaced the dryer, expansion valve,
compressor, and a transducer.
Honda ever acknowledges they have
a problem with their air conditioners
on the 8th generation Civics I'll be
shocked

I have a 2008 Honda Civic Si with 110,000 miles. I took my vehicle in a month ago because hot air was blowing out to the vents. They told me I did not have enough Freon. A week later I was still having issues of hot air blowing out of the vents. It would start cold and then hot. I went in recently and the guy said oh the compressor is not on so it is a clutch problem. When I talked to the woman later she asked how many miles do you have on your car? When I told her she said she was not surprised and that they have had 3 cars same year and make come in this summer with the same issue. When I said is there a recall she said no not unless there is a major problem with more cars and to call HONDA. She then told me it would cost me $700 to fix the issue. I am going to a local well trusted mechanic to see what their thoughts are concerning the issue and how much it will set me back. Glad I found this sight though...I have gone to The Lin Law Firm also.

I had the same problem on my 2007 civic si.. I found adding pg46 ac oil
to the car fixed it.. It been a month now no problems.. Car been sitting in
105 temp all day.. It 8 bucks for the ac oil is worth a try...

Good luck with filling a lawsuit. See my previous posts, replaced a $20 relay that fixed an AC problem in 2007 Honda Civic. Unit was blowing hot air intermittently, compressor clutch was not engaging. Hindsight suggests the AC system should be serviced at routine service intervals, at least around 100K. Add oil or Freon as needed; check pressure levels, etc… More better to do preventative maintenance rather than corrective maintenance. Wonder how many mechanics on these posts did not understand electricity, and end up replacing everything except the part that was actually bad.

Just to add another to the post. I have a 2006 Honda Civic I bought
brand new. At about 100,000 miles the A/C started working when I
first started the car, but as the engine heats up or it has been sitting in
the hot sun, it will not work. I have never taken it to the shop because
my husband is capable of fixing it, but keeps putting it off. It has been
my experience, Honda only recalls or fixes a problem when they are
forced to. I had over $700 in repairs for another issue early on in the
life of the car and it wasn't until a class action suit was filed, 2 months
ago I finally got a check for a little over $400 of the costs. As the post
stated above "the control arm issue was a joke because they didn't
pay me anything on the tires I went through". As far as paying 1500-
1700 for an air compressor..., I don't know what to say, all the ones I
am finding on the internet are only around $200 and it should probably
not take more than 1-2 hours to install it. The quote I got from my
dealership was only $600, which I still laughed at because fortunately
my husband can do it. I wanted the quote in the event he never gets
to it...

Hi Pinklady0010,welcome to the long list of dissatisfied Honda owners who are all going thru these same problems. I shelled out close to $900 bucks on a new compressor and guess what ?yup, its still giving me the same problems,including blowing hot air once the temp outside reaches high 90's im thinking of just getting rid of my 08 honda civic with 60,000 miles on it. Im sticking with a good reliable Chevy. I just feel bad about the trade in of my honda and giving my prblems with the a/c to some poor fellow......

I wanted to add myself to this list. 2008 honda civic. AC would every
once in a blue moon stop working, generally sitting in stop and go,
when its hot, then it would suddenly start working again. Looks like its
the relay in my case. Just scroll up and you will find an image
showing which relay it is, and even a link to the replacement pn.
Hopefully this isn't just a symptom of a bigger problem.

Yep, replaced the AC compressor clutch relay about two months ago. Have put over 4000 miles on 2007 Honda Civic including a trip across the desert from San Diego to Vegas and back. No more intermittent AC problems. Glad to have helped.

I'm gonna try the relay replacement. Anybody tried unhooking your battery and reconnecting? That fixed the issue for us for about a year.
Also, a couple hundred complaints is not gonna cause a recall, especially if its not related to safety. That's not how these things work.

Battery terminals will not reset the air conditioning relay. The relay gets power from battery, ignition switch, and AC controls. The relay does not interface with the onboard computer where you may have have reset trouble codes relating an engine check light or other issue. If you suspect the relay, suggest swapping it with another relay from the other circuit that I described in an earlier post. You do not need to disconnect the battery to do this, but should not have the ignition switch turned on. If the intermittent problem goes away replace the defective relay. Internal relay contacts can go bad from normal wear and tear. Thanks and good luck.

I had the same problem (honda civic 2006). I live in a tropical country
dominican republic so its hot the entire yea.
the problem is in a rubber junction that connects the compressor with
another part. I am not really sure how its called but after a time that
rubber junction deteriorates and compressor does not hook up correctly.
You gotta use sandpaperto clean that metallic part (looks like a disk) and
the problem will be fixed.

My a/c on my 2006 Honda Civic hybrid, with 80,000 miles just quit and the Honda Dealership said it would cost $500 just to diagnose. The service manager said it's a poorly designed system that is computer operated and has a mindless amount of parts, resistors, relays, etc. It has to be taken apart and every component tested. They advised me to get a new car, because the total cost to repair it would be at least $2,000.

I have been having the same issues with my 2008 Honda Civic and
have a possible solution. My AC would work perfect until the
temperature outside reached about 80 degrees, then the compressor
would no longer engage causing the unit to blow warm air. I am no
mechanic but the way my mechanic explained it, they simply moved
the shims on the compressor clutch slightly closer to the magnet
which allow the compressor to engage. I was told the fix may last a
week or forever, but definitely worth trying for $147 versus $1200-
$1300 for a new compressor. Hope this helps. Good luck!

I have a 09 Civic LX and have the
same issues. The car only has
around 60,000 miles but has always
had this AC issue. If the car sits in
the sun on a hot day it takes
roughly 15-20 minutes for the AC to
get cold. It will blow warm air until
you get it onto the highway
uniterupted and drive for 15-20
minutes straight. The problem is i
live in the city and have to
constantly stop at lights and stops
signs so the AC never really gets
going. I sweat my @$$ off in my car
with my windows down until it
starts to blow cool air. Usually by
about the time i am arriving at my
destination the AC starts to blow
cool air. I had the same issues with
my 93 Civic AC. I thought it must
have just been that 93 Civic and
model but apparently Honda has
not fixed the issues with their AC for
over 20 years now. I really don't
want to pay $1100 to fix it. I will
never buy a Civic again.

Issue : AC stops working when its very hot outside (blows warm air).
It's an intermittent problem. When AC is on, the air is ice-cold as it
should be.
Can someone who had this issue fixed summarize what was the
solution? As some folks suggested, I have replaced the compressor
clutch relay (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjQHMugkRfU), but it
hasn't helped. Before I shell out more $$ for someone to investigate
further, I was hoping to hear from someone who had this issue
resolved.

I have been having the same issues with my 2008 Honda Civic and
have a possible solution. My AC would work perfect until the
temperature outside reached about 80 degrees, then the compressor
would no longer engage causing the unit to blow warm air. I am no
mechanic but the way my mechanic explained it, they simply moved
the shims on the compressor clutch slightly closer to the magnet
which allow the compressor to engage. I was told the fix may last a
week or forever, but definitely worth trying for $147 versus $1200-
$1300 for a new compressor. Hope this helps. Good luck!
One week later and still blowing ice cold and the temp was almost 90
degrees in S. Florida yesterday.

I live in Michigan, I have a 2009
civic. i bought certified used. i was
driving my car and it cut off while at
a red light. I had it taken to a honda
dealer they said, I need a new ac
compressor and belt. Honda offer
to pay 300 while I pay 500$ of the
remaining price. Then honda service
called back and said the
compressor had shot metal pieces
everywhere and everything needed
to be replaced around it. Something
is truly wrong with these ac
compressor, to many of us are
having problems for there not to be.
If you know of anyone that could
help me please let me know. I don't
know what to do! I would have been
done with my car payments in
December. Now I will be paying a
car note on a car I cannot drive.
Anyone please Help.

I have 2007 Honda Civic SI (sedan) about 85K miles. The AC has
been shut off after 10-15 minutes of driving since last summer. I
recharged the system but that did not solved the problem. Then it got
worse after winter. Now, if I run the AC it works great for only 5
minutes. The dealer quote me for $1,044 to fix this issue (only clutch
and coil need to be replaced but no compressor issue).
Sandy, UT 84094

Have not posted in quite some time. Just wanted to bump my answer
for whomever is following this. Also - there will not be a legal process
for this anymore and is no longer being tracked. My AC went out so
often that the dealer no longer charged me for diagnostics, since they
could not figure it out either. Here's what happened in the end - my
blower was replaced but it does not stop there. I was told be the
dealer - if you trust this next part - that Honda does not even
manufacture the OEM blower for 2008 Honda Civics anymore and is
now a newer, "beefed up" version. The old version was causing the
circuit board to get too hot and so the system would basically shut
down (even more so when it's 1000 deg outside). Mine was replaced
at cost to the dealership. My wife has the same issue with her 2008
Civic, so the dealership advised me to do the work myself and buy
the part myself. All it takes is three bolts and un-clipping a wire from
the circuit board. You can buy a blower motor for less than $40 from
Rock Auto (industry leader, FYI). So that's that. It's bound to be
summertime soon, my AC blowing cold as ever...wife's AC still
intermittent. Good Luck!

Hi, I just did my MAJOR car servicing last month and I was assured by Honda representative that my car is in fine condition but after 2 weeks I encountered a problems of AC throwing normal air. Upon re check I am told that my one fan is not working fine and even gas to be refilled, I feel this is a cheating. When we give our car for major service and pay so much money to Honda center then why we are cheated and given incorrect reports or assurance. I am really disappointed with their service and hope I will change my car brand soon and will never ever buy Honda and neither will suggest my friends and relatives to go for HONDA

After seeing many posts about dealers or repair shops changing AC compressors, AC clutches, and other components on a simple air conditioning system. Then later finding it was just $25 compressor control relay.
We shall pose the question on who should be charged for all the unnecessary work. If it was me, and I spent a lot of time Easter Egging, a troubleshooting term used when a technician speculates what the problem is, and goes about replacing everything until the problem is fixed. I would be reluctant to tell you, and simple pass the cost onto you.

My son is right now picking up his 2008 Honda Civic. The a/c
stopped working on Monday..then we made a appointment to have it
looked at for Wednesday. Before he took it to our local Honda Dealer
where we purchased the automobile, I read to check the fuses first.
When I went out on Wednesday morning to check them, I turned on
the A/C and it was working great. We still took it to the dealer to have
the system looked over. They said they checked everything and said
there was a gap in the resistor, however they acted like it is a part of
the compressor and the compressor would eventually need replaced?
Any help with this?

Update :
Replacing a/c relay didn't help me. I had to replace the compressor. It
ended up costing $350 but its running fine since last 3 weeks. Sucks that
there was no recall to fix an obvious issue with this car.

Hi I have a honda civic 2008 and the aircon is not working if I had a traffic
or the car is idle for 30 minutues. After I run it again for 10 minutes the
coldness of my a/c is again turned on. I've replaced the a/c relay and the
fan but still the same problem. Can you advise me on what to do?? pls

I have a 2006 Civic Ex that has had repeated a/c issues. First it worked
intermittently as others have described, then it stopped cooling
altogether. It was "fixed" once, and the repair only lasted about 6 to 8
months. I was just told it is the compressor that is out and it will cost
$1300 to replace. Now that I am seeing so many posts with similar
issues, I feel this must be something Honda is aware of but chooses to
do nothing about. Hmmm...class action lawsuit??

I have a 08 Civic and is also having problems. Its obvious that Honda had a defect. I was quoted $1500 to get if fixed and there is no way i can afford that right now. How can we start a class action lawsuit so we can all get our a/c's fixed?

glad to come across these threads,, i just had my compressor and
drier replaced yesterday..my 08 civic airconditioning system started
acting up for the past few months,..same signs and symptoms as
mentioned in these threads..not a very pleasant experience driving
w/o airconditioning,,and i live in south florida...and im not gonna sit
down and let this issue pass unless someone is held accountable...

The relay fix helped me for about 6 months. However the root cause is the compressor clutch and coil. The coil starts failing when it gets hot and can't engage the clutch. Replacing the relay helps for a while because it slams more current to the coil, but even this isn't a permanent fix. I could drive 35 miles highway and not have an issue. But get stuck in stop-and-go and everything heats up, and the coil no longer engages. Meanwhile, because the coil fails when its hot, this results in the clutch not engaging/disengaging quickly. The clutch drags and eventually wears out. I had the compressor clutch and coil replaced yesterday by a shop in North Dallas and they showed me the worn clutch and coil. There was no more clutch material left on the clutch, and the mating surface was no longer smooth, but had grooves in it. Total bill: $724 ( about $360 of that being parts-- the rest is labor, tax and overnight shipping of replacement parts ). This is on a 2007 Civic Si with 144K miles. Oh, and the parts for the Si couldn't be found locally in any of the warehouses. If I had a regular Civic that wouldn't have been the case.

I finally replaced the relay switch
under the hood and the a/c works
great! Told a friend to try the same
in their car and it worked for the
them. Blows cold air. I keep spare
switches in the glovebox.

I have a 2008 civic LX - it started intermittantly having all of these problems described by other about a year and a half a go - Honda told me I would have to bring it in and leave it for a few days because if it did not happen while with them, they could not diagnose it correctly, so I just put up with it.... it finally got to where it did not work most of the time and Honda figured out it was a relay - this was about 3 months ago. They replaced it and it ran great for about 2 1/2 mo. Now the intermittent stuff is starting again. I have noticed that if it starts acting up and it is hot outside and then it rains, the cold air starts blowing again. This car was also always serviced on time, mostly by Honda, we are the only owner and no accidents. We live in North FL

Every time one of you offered helpful suggestions of what worked with
your A/C on your Honda Civic, I printed it off and my mechanic would
try it. Nothing worked permanently for me. I finally had to bite the
bullet and replace the compressor about 2 weeks ago. So far, it's
working in 90 degree weather. Although the A/C issue has been such
an awful problem, I've had very little trouble with this 2008 civic so my
experience with Honda has been pretty positive. I'm even looking at
trading in for a CR-V. Am I crazy?

I have 2008 Honda Civic EX. The AC has been working intermittently for
the past year and half. I checked to low side pressure and was right
where it should be. Finally wife couldn't take it no more. Went to the
Honda dealer. They evacuated twice and found metal in system that
looked almost like sand. They quoted $4,000 to replace the whole
system. Of course the service manager stated he couldn't advise me
where the metal came from. It's just in the whole system. I'm looking for
others with the same problem. Honda should be held accountable in my
opinion.

My AC has been working intermittently for awhile now. I hit a big pot hole
about 10 months ago and it turned back on - with no problems since,
until about a week ago. It's not working - no matter how many bumps I
aim for :). Anyways, after reading many similar complaint threads, I
added my name to that law firms site, and I already know I will not pay
$1000-1500 for what I feel is an easy fix and the mechanics are cashing
in on unsuspecting customers. My BF decided to mess with the AC fan
tonight, because there seems to be a disconnect somewhere in that
area. Make sure your fan control dial is off. The fan in my 2008 honda
civic EX is located through the glove compartment box. We removed the
dust and pollen filter. Again, make sure the AC fan dial control is off (So
you don't lose a finger when the fan starts moving). While the car is
running, I used a nail file to reach into the fan (which wasn't moving) and
quickly removed the file. the nail file caused the fan to spin and the AC
kicked back on. I'm sure I need a new replacement blower, which can't
be more than $50 (if that), but definitely not $1000-$1500.

I also own a 2008 Civic EX. Same problems with the A/C for the last 2 years. Dealerships and A/C specialist can pinpoint the problem. Blowing hot/then it will get so cold you can hardly stand it. I have read all of your helpful comments and going to try some of these before taking to get worked on, again. Keep everyone posted. I also agree that Honda should take responsibility for their faulty AC system. Sorry that some of you have spent thousands of dollars. But thank you for posting your issues here

Chardin, Sounds like mine. I suspect your ac system will be contaminated if it has been going on for months/years. I'm surprised was still working intermittently when I finally went to the dealer. I've contacted the Better Business Bureau and Consumer Affairs online and was able to file a complaint. Also contacted/phoned the Federal Trade Commission. Who knows what will become of it. But I don't see any other recourse. Honda will not acknowledge a widespread problem. Mine was just a isolated case!!!! go figure.

Get this, I have a 1998 Civic with AC
problems that stayed over a year
ago. In the AM, it will be cool, but
when i need it in the afternoon, it
bkows hot air. I recently started
driving more. It works more often,
but intermittent. It will work for
awhile, then the cool air warms up
and the air smells humid and musty.
Everyone I take it to my mechanic, it
works so they can't diagnose it. It's
an old cat but still has a lot of life. It
gets very hot here so or is miserable
diving.
I also noticed my defrost does not
work well, especially when it pours.
The harder it rains, the worse my
windows get. I can't see and i have
to use a towel to cleat the window.

I just paid $985 to have the A/C on my 2009 Honda Civic repaired.
The car has 80,000 miles on it and I get it serviced regularly at the
dealership where I bought it. They told me it was the compressor
clutch. The A/C had been blowing cold then warm then almost cold
and finally nothing but warm air and started making a sound like a
percolator. The mechanic said if the clutch kept grinding the metal
would damage something else in the engine and it would have ended
up costing me another $1000. Not good that so many Hondas are
having these problems with the A/C and Honda needs to do something
about it!!

I read through all the answers and
started with the cheapest fix.
Purchased a relay at NAPA for
$7.82 cents. Watched a video on
YouTube of where the relay went in
the fuse box under the hood and I
have cold air. Been working great
now for a few days. If anything
changes, I will let you all know.
Good luck!

@wvanana. Sorry for you. Consider yourself lucky that you had repaired in a timely matter before your ac system got contaminated. The cost would be more than $1,000. As far as Honda doing something well they don't have to anything if no one's filing a complaint. It is up to us to who have been a victim to do something. I would encourage you to call the Federal Trade Commission. See these posts: https://www.facebook.com/faultyhondacompressors/
Having filed a report to BBB they contacting Honda Motor Company, they called me. More or less, they deny any unusual problems with AC and that the warranty expired at 3 years or 36,000 miles.
Again, be heard if your disgrunted.

Honda Civic 2008 EX Model, suffering from same AC issues with about 2 years. In the mornings when is fresh outside, I get around 5 minutes of cool air, the rest is just Hot air with a really nasty odor. When to the shop today, the want to charge me $1600 for what they call a Replacement of an AC Compressor! We have to do something. Lets unite and make Honda paid for what is a defect on their cars.

Hey everyone I have a 2006 Civic Si, in 2008 I had issues with it and
that's when I found out that my car would NEVER fall under Honda
Warranty b/c it was in fact a Honda of Canada sold in Germany and
then traded in in 2007 back in the states (where i bought it after it
being on the lot for only 3 days) from that point on I have had every
issues with the car possible.
I was having the gear box issues where if I was in 3rd gear it would
pop out randomly (replaced Honda transmission fluid with Amsoil, and
fixed the issue but again voided any chance of Honda every touching
it, even though they denied it being a known gearbox related issues ))
resulted in my clutch burning out at only 80,000 miles ( $2500 new
clutch and flywheel fix)
My sun visors have warped and been rendered useless and replaces
4 different times.
Last year had to replace my starter that decided it no longer wanted to
consistently work, had that replaced
Also last summer I started having AC issues and just thought it
needed charged. This summer It wouldn't even turn on unless when
my car was first started the AC had to be set to MAX and at the
highest setting and even then it wasn't always fool proof. Along with
that my ABS and PowerSteering would randomly stop working, and
when those decided they didn't want to turn on my entire car would
shut off (( didn't matter if i was driving down the highway or not ))
Found out that it was my AC clutch not consistently engaging and that
was also causing the ABS and PS issues. First place quoted me
$1500, second $1100, $200 part at max all the rest Labor since the
"whole front end" would need to be moved.
My car needs to be blown up.

Experiencing the same problem as everyone else on the AC issue. I
checked the freon level with the auto parts dude and it was fine. Then
I watched the you tube video and replaced the $5.00 relay. It ran fine
for about 10 miles and started blowing warm , again. When I got home
I was curious to see what the compressor was actually doing. I turned
on the AC , the fan was turning but not the compressor, while I was
watching I suddenly heard a " clunk" sound and lo and behold the
compressor started spinning and I was getting cold air. I don't know
what that means , but I'm letting my Honda service dude know what I
experienced. I will let you know what he says.

Check to make sure the right relay was changed. My AC relay worked intermittently. Sometimes the contacts would mate and sometimes they would not. The clunk sound was the AC clutch being energized by the control relay contacts. As you drive the car, the weak contacts will open and you will get hot air blowing again. There are a couple identical relays in the Fuse/Relay Box depending on model year, For Honda Civic 2007 relay was #12 as per attached drawing.

2007 honda civic ex with ~90,000 miles on it AC went in and out last
year, they put die in it to check for leaks and it ended up being a
relay. Now AC is out again and dealer quotes me $1000+ noting
"compress clutch is melted" Going to have a local mechanic work on
it and buying the compressor with clutch myself from amazon. Hope
to save $500 over the dealer this way. Will see how long this lasts. I
wonder what the underlying issue is.

Run a wire from your positive battery terminal to the AC compressor connection and listen for a click (clutch pulling in) if that happens you have a working compressor. Then jumper it and start the car and see if it engages. You still may have a shorted or weak clutch coil that drops out after it heats up. I bought a new one on ebay for $50 and installed it. You have to discharge, evacuate and recharge the system.

Gosh I can't believe that everyone is having the same issues i am having. I have a 2010 Civic Coupe that just hit 50K miles and the AC blows warm air. Best quote i got was $925 to replace compressor. I am mad at Honda right now disapointed that this could happen so fast in a vehicle.

Honda Service Technician says the CRV are even more prone to AC compressor. Plus the fact they've haven't addressed CRV engine-transmission matchup problems with auto shaking bad starting off, for over 6 six years and still selling them! Honda has a quality production problem. Stay clear from Honda's.

2010 Honda Civic w/ 85k miles. Same A/C issues. With me its the
compressor. Quoted $850 for a replacement by the stealership. Going to
see if I can get it done cheaper elsewhere. My blower motor was
replaced at 39k. Other then the A/C issues the car has been great.

So I have a 2010 Civic Sedan LX
with 58,900 miles. At first the A/C
would come and go intermittently.
The vents would still blow air but it
would be warm then cold, I noticed
the compressor was cycling on and
off. I replaced the relay with no
luck. Took it to my mechanic and he
determined it was a bad resistor in
the compressor. I had to have the
compressor replaced, cost me $800
parts and labor. After driving the
car for 30 minutes now the A/C
compressor won't shut off and the
low pressure line freezes up causing
no air to blow out of the vents. I
replaced the AC Heater Confrol unit
in the dash with a used one, now
the compressor won't come on. I'm
wondering ifnI should just order a
new Heater Control Unit instead of
trying a used one again. Part costs
$140. Any ideas?

I have a 2007 Civic and 2 years ago (2013) the AC stopped working
around 75,000 miles. I thought I was the only one with this issue. This
is terrible and Honda needs to be held accountable.
Twice a mechanic filled it with freon in the car thinking it would solve
it. It would make for the air conditioning work for a few days and go
right back to not working. There's some serious issues and i'm sure
the repairs will be $700+.

Following up to my question above.
I had the Heater Control Unit
replaced with a brand new OEM
one from Honda ($135), and that
fixed the problem with A/C
Compressor not shutting off as well
as never coming on after replacing
the compressor. If your A/C comes
and goes intermittently (blows cold
air and warm air sometimes), it may
be a bad resistor in the compressor.
If the compressor won't shut off, it
may be the Heater Controp Unit.
Always check the relay ($5).

I love everything about my 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid EXCEPT for the A/C blowing hot air when it's already sweltering outside. I am shocked to see that thousands of others have the same problem. Not knowing anything about mechanics (girls were not allowed to take auto shop class when I was in high school, believe it or now), I just ASSUMED it was a "hybrid thing." The worst times are when it's over 100 degrees outside (I live in So. Cal.), I'm sitting at a long traffic light with windows closed, and all I get is hot air blowing all over me! From all of these comments, I feel that no amount of $$ will resolve this issue!

My 2010 Civic LX blew weak cool air after 2 yrs and at 10K miles.
Brought twice to dealer (under warranty) but they said the AC was
perfect. The problem been getting worse and worse and now it blows hot
air in hot days. I just found this site and knew so many people have the
same issue.

Check your relay. Next I would have
someone check the resistor with the
compressor or the clutch. If either
one of these are bad then I would
replace the compressor. You can
replace the clutch but it's as much
labor as replacing the compressor
so you are better off just replacing
the compressor.

Maybe b/c the idiots designed the
car so that the ac condenser is 6
inches off the ground so that
whenever you go over a slight
bump, the condenser starts leaking
freon. Get a warranty maybe: honda
civic 2010 lx

I am a single mom and my 2006 Honda Civics a/c just went out. It comes
back after 15 to 20 mins but only for a short time and then starts blowing
hot air again. I don't have 1000 + to spend to fix this. Is there any answers
to fix this problem?

Remove the fuse box cover under the hood and swap the AC relay with the fan relay. It will show on the underside of the cover which one it is. See if that makes it stay on. If it does go and buy a new relay. They don't cost much.

In my 2005 civic I was having the issue with the ac working for 10-15 minutes then stopping. I wrote a post 3 weeks ago suggesting an easy test by opening the fuse box and identifying the relay. There are pictograms. The snow flake is the ac compressor relay and the snow flake with fan is the fan relay. Those relays are identical. Swap those and see if it solves your problem. If it does correct the issue, don't go too long without replacing the relay since it could prevent your cooling fan from running and cause an overheating condition in stopped traffic. Very easy test to try.

I have a 2008 HONDA CIVIC with 79,000 miles on it, I bought this car new and from the very beginning the AC was weak compared to other cars. While it was under warranty it would often just stop blowing or not cool, when taken to the dealer they would find nothing wrong of course. After going back multiple times I gave up, then 1 month after the warranty expired it quit completely. I took it back the dealership and they said the blower motor had failed $280 to fix, I argued saying this was an ongoing issue and ended up paying $50. Anyway the issue continued with it starting off blowing strong and then gradually gets weaker when i out driving etc (like it lost power). Now it will suddenly stop blowing cold and blow warm air and then come back on, dealer said out of FREON hence recharged it, when I got to pick it up at the dealer it died on again on the spot with them their watching. Of course they now find its a bad coil and clutch, $931 to fix. HONDA make junk cars now and I am now getting rid of this car, I used to have a 1988 HONDA CIVIC which I got rid of at 188,000 miles and it still had the original AC unit in and I never had an issue, that car is still on the road with now 220,000 miles on it and the same AC unit. So HONDA used to be good, but now they are producers of Junk.

I have had the problem for over 2 years, tested the relay, it was
fine. I was not very convinced that the compressor was the
problem, as too many people have replaced them only to have
the issue return. I have been an electronics technician for 35
years, and have done some backyard mechanic work, usually
under extreme protest! I followed the wire from the compressor
to a connector above the front of the alternator, where it would
connect to a connector coming from what seems to be the
wiring harness. As I was messing with the connector, the
compressor was coming on and off. I had to press the wires into
the connector pretty hard, but I got it to stay on for a while. I
cleaned the contacts in the connector, and it is now working. I
do not believe it will be permanent, as it is probably a terminal
corrosion issue in the connector. When it fails again, I will just
wire around the connector for that wire, using spade terminals.

One more bit of information: As I have been checking in to wire
coming from the compressor, it occurred to me after seeing a
photo of the compressor, that changing the compressor would
replace one side (the male side) of the connector, but not the
wiring harness side (female). If, as I suspect, it is a corrosion
issue in the connector, then it WILL return later if you only
replace one side of the connector. This could explain so many
people having it fail again shortly after replacement of the
compressor.

@Charles (or anyone with know how),
I am one of those who are experiencing the A/C
functioning and blowing fine when the ambient
temperature of the car isn't extremely hot. Should I get
into the car and turn the A/C on after its already mid-
80's or hotter, the air will simply not be cold.
Does this still sound like something a new compressor
relay could fix?

You might want to look at my answer about 5 posts above yours.
My compressor was not working at all this year, after being
intermittent and getting worse last summer. I have now fixed the
issue by wiring around the connector I mentioned. . Air has now
been working great for about 3 weeks.

Guess I'm joining the club. I bought a
Honda Civic 2011 in March 2015. Current
mileage is 52k, been taking excellent
care of it. yesterday in 100 degree
weather, the AC is no longer working.
Blowing only hot air. My mechanic
checked it out and ruled out a lot of
things--it may be electrical. It's incredibly
frustrating having just purchased a
Honda thinking I wouldn't have to deal
with dumping money into a "dependable"
car for years! Please let me know if there
is a lawsuit against Honda regarding the
AC issue--judging by these posts, it's
obvious that they need to take
responsibility.

I have a 2008 Civic LX as well-have changed the relay twice and after working for a while it goes back to being intermittent. Now it has stopped working again and they say it is the compressor as it has blown a seal and is leaking. I work at a Nissan dealership and have found out through my mechanics that this is a common problem for most Hondas. I will not mess with one again. I have 130,000 miles on it. Very disappointing when you think you are buying a quality product.

2006 Civic - 130,000. First Honda said
they go forever! A/c blows Luke warm.
Really pleasant in South Florida.
Replaced relay 2x. I'm not into dumping
money into a 10 year old car. Honda
won't do anything for any of us.

After spending $800 on my 2008 Honda Civic apporx 2 yrs ago its still not working like it should & judging by all the people who are comming out on this site who are also having some problems with their cars a/c Hond needs to own up to this ongoing problem.I try not to drive my Honda on really hot days like today which is forcasted to get 108 !!! Never again will I buy a Honda !!

Same issue on my 2010 Civic GX with 190k miles.
Intermittent A/C, refrigerant pressure good, power to
compressor verified since fans turn on but compressor
clutch doesn't engage. However, when pushing clutch it
engages and cold air circulates. What i have found is
These compressors have a shimmable compressor
clutch and after time & wear the air gap between the
clutch and magnet gets too spread apart for the weaken
magnet to engage the clutch. You can either replace the
clutch and coil OR if you're lucky remove some of the
shims to decrease the air gap. I did and fixed me up.....for
now. Took about 35min total. Removed passenger wheel,
removed plastic wheel well cover, removed 14mm bolt on
the compressor, removed shim and replaced with thinner
shim (or you can remove it all together) And replace
everything in reverse. No need to remove belt or loosen
compressor. I know this is a temporary fix and I will
eventually have to replace the clutch and coil but that's a
2-4hr job depending on your tools and level of mechanical
aptitude so the longer I can postpone that the better :)
it's been 3 months now so I'm happy. Here is a YouTube
link to a helpful video. It's for an older model Civic but
same process. You'll need to forward to around the
12min mark https://youtu.be/DNx0X4INfiw

I just took my 2007 Honda Civic and and was told by my
mechanic that it was an electrical problem. Something about the
coil and clutch not firing. The compressor is fine but for $70
more bucks I can get the whole shabang and have a 2 year /
24000 mile warranty. I'll take that. I NEVER go to the
dealerships. Don't trust them as far as I could throw them!
Clutch issues, paint issues.......though I do love my car.

For all of those with 2008 Civic air conditioning
problems you need to call Honda Corporation to
Complain. COMPLAIN COMPLAIN COMPLAIN
800) 999-1009 toll free Monday-Friday: 6am-5pm
PT I called and there was a recall but only on the
cars manufactured in a specific location.
Unfortunately wherever my car was
manufactured and I'm in New Jersey there was
not a recall I was told by Honda that if they
receive enough calls from cars that were
manufactured in the same location that they
would then put out a recall so for all of us in the
Northeast please call and complain because
personally with all the complaints that I'm seeing
online this is a serious problem and we should
not have to pay for it by the way today in the mail
I received a recall notice for my 2008 Civic
regarding the airbags when the airbags go off
there are metal fragments that could pass
through the air bag cushion material causing
injury to the vehicle occupants it also stated that
your passengers should sit in the backseat and
not in the passenger front seat so please check
and make sure your vehicle is not part of this
recall

Called Honda today to file a complaint and tell
them about all the people that are disscussing
this issue online. I'm seeing more and more
people submitting online that they are having this
issue. We need to let Honda know that these A/C
issues only after a few years and less than
100,000 miles is not acceptable. Call and
complain.

I just called honda at 800-9991009 and told them my story of the AC. They say that currently there is only the passenger airbag recall and the engine block warranty extension for 10 years for my 2008 Civic. In regard to the AC issue she said they have heard about these issues, so they gave me a case number and a manager will review the case and then get back to me. They will also check with the dealership records to see what their diagnosis was and they will let know me know if they will do anything.
So everyone should inundate them with calls and complain about the AC!!

The person I spoke with did not give me a case
number so maybe I should call back and try to
get one I also wanted to mention that there are
quite a few people with a 2008 civic that have hit
the 100,000 mark But honestly that should not
make much of a difference if there is a problem
with their A/C there's a problem (I also have a
Camry with 193,000 miles and I've never had a
problem with my air conditioning system
honestly to this day I can freeze in that car) so
yes everybody please call in I posted the number
before and let's pull together and try to get
something done we have nothing to lose and
everything to gain maybe we can save our pocket

When I called I gave them my VIN number and they looked the car and I explained how I had taken the car back multiple times while under warranty and after and the dealership had not solved the problem. It may be that as they can see the dealer repair notes and the fact that they wanted $1k to fix that they gave me a case number. I will be surprised if they call me back and say yes we will fix it, but at least people are calling them to complain. They told me they will be in touch by monday August 1st.

Similar AC issue here. 2008 Honda Civic EX with 150K miles.
AC only blowing hot air however both fans go on when AC
engaged. No power to the compressor clutch. Have tried
swapping out AC relay switches but no help. I just called Honda
America and logged my issue. No recalls or service alerts
available against my VIN# to help me. I suggest everyone
reading this board call American Honda Customer Service at 1-
999-1009 and register your own AC issue just to have it logged
in their system in case a class action lawsuit is initiated.

2008 Civic. Chronic A/C issues....initially not blowing cold air after
driving a few miles. The dealership finally replaced the compressor, at our cost, even tho we were not sure this was the
problem. They couldn't duplicate the issue after many diagnostics
and our research no suggestions! Too hot in GA for no A/C. Last
month, the fan stopped working for a short time. Called Honda
today. They gave me a case number. Will complain to the
dealership again when I take the car for the passenger airbag recall
on Monday. Very important to have a dealership document any and
all problems.

I have the same issue with my 2008 Honda Civic. Dealer wanted
$2163 to replace the compressor, coil, and clutch! The car is just
over 100K miles. What happened to the Civic's legend of reliabilty? I
posted this on Honda's Facebook page and I was told to send them
a PM for my contact info. It has been over 24 hours and I haven't
heard a peep from them. Some lady from somecity in Florida
responded to my post that Honda won't do a thing about my
problem. So disappointed and after seeing all these complaints here,
I would be crazy to ever buy any of their automobiles again. I had an
older one but it was involved in an accident so I replaced it with this
2008 plus I have a 2013 for a memeber of my family and now
worried sick what awaits us n the future.

With the vehicle turned off unplug the connection going to the AC compressor and run #14 or #16 wire from the positive terminal of the battery to the compressor side of the connection you disconnected. Keep repeatedly connecting and disconnecting the connection. If you hear the compressor clutch clicking and see it moving then the compressor coil is most likely good. Then connect the wire and start the car and take if for a drive and see if it cools. If it does then you know your issue is upstream in from the connector that is hanging back. Do not continuously drive the car with the direct feed from the battery because you bypassed all the high/low pressure cut off sensors that protect your AC system.

I ended up having to replace the AC compressor on my 2008
Honda Civic. I went with a local foreign car garage versus a
Honda dealership. Given the age/mileage of the car I went with
an aftermarket (but new) compressor, which ran about $290 and
included a 2 year parts & labor warranty. I also paid to replace
the serpentine belt, which added $50 parts & labor. Total cost
for everything including AC system evacuate and recharge:
$600. While not cheap, it was far less expensive then some of
the numbers quoted on this board and elsewhere. My AC is
back to normal.

So an update from HONDA USA, after a lot of chasing and calling them back, as they never answer the phone. We went all over the history of the car and the AC issues and they reviewed the dealer ship notes and stated the car is 10years old blah blah blah. Even though they can see I went back multiple times and it was under warranty back then they cannot do it for free now (even though it there problem). So we ended up negotiating it to $500 and I now have to wait for the dealership to contact me to have it fixed and HONDA USA will pay the extra $500. I also asked them to tell me what happens when the compressor fails and it all goes wrong again, what are they going to do? He said call us back and we will go over that if that occurs. So not exactly perfect outcome but the fact they were willing to listen and offered a part solution was something, They did say that some AC units in the 2008 civic were recalled, of course not mine! (which i say is BS) I also did point out how is that Consumer Reports rates HONDA as having the worst AC units etc, got no response on that!
So I encourage everyone to call HONDA and complain and register your AC issue and get it on the radar, so we can at some point get it acknowledged.

Sigh I can't believe Honda has not addressed this
issue yet. This past Saturday my ac stopped
working and today my heater will not work. I
called and told them about it but the
representative said there was nothing she could
do. I have 08 civic that I adore. I live in northern
CA and I need my ac during the day and my
heater for the morning and night. I was freezing in
my car this morning. Hopefully my local mechanic
can help me out. Mileage : 160k .

I found an answer....I have an 09 civic, AC stopped blowing
hard and would only cool to 65 degrees. Live in Dallas
area so it's hot. I did all the normal stuff, had it serviced,
checked leaks, replaced relays and both filters...still
nothing. Today I reset the system. Found it by accident on
another site. I will give full sequence to what I did since it
was clear....
-turn car completely off
-press/hold AC circulation button and both defroster
buttons and start car. Yes it's awkward.
-turn car off again (I think this one did trick)
-press/hold rear defrost only
-start car then turn recirculating back on
My car sounds normal AC went to 40 degrees on idle.
Compressor still cycles and temp was between 40 @ 45.
This makes scense to me since I changed two relays. I am
not a mechanic, I have searched for days and tried
everything possible. Give it a try all
Rhill7499@gmail.com

Rhill7499: yes there is a procedure to diagnose and reset the
system. The one I know is at
http://www.pontiacpower.org/pdf/ACtestUS.pdf and is a little
different, but one thing is that some models have only one
recirculate button (on and off) and others have a second button
to open it (off). I ran the diagnostic procedure and got no codes,
but reset it and so far it's working. Maybe not as cold as it
should, but it's better.

My 2011 Honda CRV with 112,000 miles, A/C only works when its below 70F outside.
Dealer said I need a new compressor, quoted $1,100 for the repair. Will go elsewhere or do it myself, I have fixed a Honda Accord 2000 A/C have all the equipment.
If not under warranty, read its best Not to have Honda fix it. They will put a Honda compressor, which is infamous for problems. Others put an equivalent and better compressor.
I replaced the Honda Accord 2000 compressor and other A/C parts a year ago and its still working ! Don't recommend doing it yourself. Its a lot of work and you need special equipment like a vacuum pump.

This is incredible! So many Honda owners living through hellish
heat in vehicles we have found through years of ownership to be
reliable/dependable and manufactured by a company we
considered to be trustworthy/honest due to their ability to deliver
a quality product at a fair price. What happened? We've owned
several Honda vehicles since our first Civic in 1985 which rolled
down the road over 500k miles when the transmission went out
in 1999, the A/C was still working just fine! Our 2009 Civic has
less than 99K and the A/C has had issues since shortly after we
purchased it. Now it is doing the same thing everyone else's is
doing, working for the first 10 minutes and then just hot air the
rest of the time. Honda must be held accountable and made to
do the right thing by their customers. I've added my name to the
class action and registered my complaint with American Honda
Customer Service. The only recall for our Civic listed is the
airbag. Reading all the posts here from so very many Honda
owners makes me feel sick. Let's keep up the pressure and
make this company behave the way we expect and deserve!
Charles, get off your Honda-defending soap box man! What we
are experiencing collectively as responsible motorists who
practice preventive maintenance and checks in conjuction with
regular and routine service, can't be summed up as normal
wear and tear. No sir! What we are going through is malicious in
intent by a company we all championed for years with our
dedicated support and we demand that they accept
responsibility for their willful deceit and refusal to even listen to
our complaints by issuing a recall for every vehicle they
manufactured so recklessly and fix our A/C!

My AC went out last summer and is still out. My 2007 Honda
Civic had less than 60,000 miles on it at the time. I know at least
three other individuals that have Honda Civic's and all three
have had air conditioner problems. Those individuals like myself
just cannot afford to have the AC work done with no guarantees
the Honda Civic air-conditioners will still work any length of time
after the repairs. There is no doubt that Honda has a design
flaw that they are aware of and choose to ignore. For me I know
I will never again purchase a Honda product as they no longer
backup their products.

If having problems with 2007 Honda Air Conditioning, please check my posts about replacing a $20 A/C control relay. Relay can fail under normal wear and tear. Replaced this relay a few years ago in my 2007 Honda Civic and have not had any more problems. The relay controls the compressor cycle time to circulate Freon in the system. Symptom: A/C blows hot air. Simply remove and replace the relay,

Unfortunately 2007 Honda Civic Air Conditioning System does not interface with on-board computer as noted in my earlier posts. The A/C Compressor Clutch Relay part number is 39794-SDA-A05, on the relay itself MITSUBA 7001 2 6020, Made In Vietnam. The compressor is turned on and off by the relay to cycle Freon throughout the system. The current draw causes arcing in the relay contacts. Over time the relay can fail. This is why relays can be easily removed and replaced similar to a fuses and circuit breakers. Use needle nose pliers to carefully grip the relay and pull it out of the relay socket.

If this does not fix the problem, recommend taking car to Honda Dealer. Have noted other posts where air conditioning condenser/compressor was damaged by road debris. The condenser is located under the front bumper and is used to cool the Freon. Class action lawsuits on other Honda and Accura models, the fix was placing a screen to prevent rocks, pebbles and other road debris from striking condenser.

Hi E1. I have a 08' Civic Coupe. My problem is with the Air selector
switch. It does not automatically changes when I press anothe
button. I'd greatly appreciate any feedback on this.
jjimenez19@gmail.com pls

I have been having intermittent air
conditioning failure in my 2007 Civic, too. It's
mostly a fail now, since it started about 3
years ago. The rear control arms wore my
tires out quickly, and Honda replaced them
and my tires after I filed a complaint to the
BBB during the first 6 months from when I
bought it new. Since then, the clear coat has
failed big time, rust is now forming on it. Now
I have to deal with this air-conditioning
problem. I was at the dealership yesterday to
have the airbag recall fixed. While there, I
asked about the many problems people were
having, including myself. Her reply was that I
needed to have it diagnosed for $185. I told
her that I wasn't going to spend any money
here because of the dishonesty that I was
hearing. I told her in front of other customers
and employees about the long list of
problems, and I that I owned American cars
without such problems. I checked here to find
some solutions. I replaced the relay, and I still
have no air conditioning. Next step for me will
be to replace the compressor, being careful to
keep the connection protected from
corrosion. I will go to my regular mechanic for
more trustworthy service, and order the part
myself to save money. I'm going to lodge a
complaint wherever I can. To hell with Honda.

2012 Honda Civic Hybrid here. I live in Florida, and A/C only
blows hot air. 50,000 miles! Took to mechanic yesterday and
they did a "recharge evac" or some such nonsence. Cost almost
$150. Advised I need a new compressor for over $1200 with
labor, and still blowing warm air on driver side. He said one side
is higher than the other? Passenger side blows a little cooler.
One day after repair. This is nonsense. 50,000 miles? Give me
a break

I tried the above reset sequences on my '08 and I hear the
compressor kick on again. Rhill7499 - is it still working after 2 weeks? I do have an appt. on Friday at dealership but will make sure I come armed with info from this site.

I've got an 06 Civic so. After self diagnosis i realized
I need to replace the compressor clutch. The
bummer is that the Si model the clutch is blocked by
the washer fluid tank and engine chassis. Any
suggestions on how to it off without pulling out the
alternator and hlaf the passenger side engine?

eman_reyes - if you sift through all the posts, there doesn't seem to be a recall but recommendations to send complaint/info to a law firm listed so that they see how many are having problems. I did end up having to replace my a/c compressor AND my short block on engine (which WAS under warranty recall). Ugh!

Hi Guys
Stumbled across this chain after being fed up of
going to mechanics..midas refilled freon
guaranteeing that it would fix problem..
I have 2008 honda civic that started giving me ac
problem about 2-3 months ago at 75k miles. Its a
canada bought car. It was intermittent before but
then only hot air. Went to midas who guaranteed that
freon fill (117$) will fix the problem; it did not. I
remember i was getting squealing noise when i
turned on the ac. have just put a new A05 ac relay.
lets see if it works. pls let me know how to join any
class suit related this problem againt honda..

Hi I have a 2001 honda civic and my AC stopped working. 2
mechanics tried putting Freon and it did not work. My feeling is
that its an electrical issue because my last mechanic messed up
and refuses to fix it because he is family. I sent my car to my
new mechanic today to fix the ac he said he needs a full day to
see if I need a new compressor. I am worried it will be a huge
bill I cannot afford. Does anyone have any similar issues or
advice to offer?

the a/c on my 96 went out and now when you turn it on the bottons
on it has reverse for a/c i have to hit the defogger on for the middle
vents to work and no air comes out through the fog vents. Has
anyone had this problem.

Have a look at these two videos -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXNXls-sRQ8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNx0X4INfiw
Looks like a potential quick fix that will last a few years instead of
getting a new compressor.

2013 Honda civic hybrid 61k, ac compressor went out along with clutch. Folsom Honda was out 3 weeks to look at it and wasn't able to help me out, took vehicle to 3rd party mechanic and now I cannot get the compressor due to it being on a nation wide back order. Honda OEM is the only product in production. Called Honda corps and got nowhere except a case #. I have stuck with Honda due to reliability and affordability. Unfortunately this is my 3rd Honda and will be my last. Too bad because I was wanting a crv but I will now be on the Toyota lot.

I am just experiencing the same problem. 2009 Civic Lx. The a/c
cycles on and off every 10 secs. At first I thought it was low on
freon. Then I thought it was high on freon. Talked to my a/c
master technician friend. Learned everything I ever needed to
know about a/c systems. Because I was out of ideas I visited
google and found this. What the &^%$#! What's the fix Honda!
You need to address this.

I have a 2010 Honda Civic, It was running smoothly up till now,
but the AC Compressor just destroyed itself this past Friday.
Sounds like this is a honda civic common problem for the car?
Either way, the dealership shop is quoting me $1,600 to replace
the compressor, clutch, serpentine belt and for an AC
recharge.But in the end, i just bought a ac compressor and clutch
from HexAutoParts.com with 110$. Works well!

Hope this helps someone out, it did for me. rhill7499 posted above a fix to run a self-
diagnostic, didn't show any codes but ended up working. The problem i was having since i
purchased my 06 civic was the temp would never go over 70 degrees and would feel like the
heater would come on and off. I changed the compressor, condenser, expansion valve and
all new seals with no luck. So before changing anything i would run the diagnostic. Takes
minutes and is now running at 40 degrees with 100 outside.
To run the self-diagnostic function, do the following: 1. Turn the ignition switch OFF.
2. Press and hold the recirculation control and rear window defogger buttons, and turn the
ignition switch ON (II).
3. Recirculation indicator turns on for 2 seconds, then self-diagnostic function begins.
NOTE:
•The blower motor will run at any speed regardless of the dial positioning.
•In the case of multiple problems, the recirculation indicator will blink the lowest number
DTC only.
•If no DTCs are found, the indicator will not blink.

I have a 2010 Honda Civic with only 43,000 miles - air compressor and condenser said to be out - $1600 replacement estimate. After reading all this I wonder, will my having it repaired be a long term fix or will it go bad again? Have others had it fixed and the fix has lasted? Help...Florida heat oppressive. Can't live without it.

I fixed my ac compressor relay with a $5-6 part from
O’Reillys.
https://youtu.be/ZjQHMugkRfU
I’m not sure about the condenser part. Watch the
video and it’ll tell you where the part(Ac compressor
clutch relay) is and what you may need to buy.

I posted about this issue on this thread a few years ago. I had the problem repetitively. I eventually discovered that the connector going to the compressor (Where the compressor hooks into the main wiring harness, above the alternator) was bad, causing the repetitive failure. Replacing the main wiring harness for the car was not an option, I wired around the connection (only 3 wires) and the problem has never returned. I discovered this on my own, (electronics technician with over 35 years experience) and I don't believe Honda will ever admit it, because they won't want to replace wiring harnesses. The problem with the connector is that it develops burning/corrosion that causes the connection to become intermittent, before failing completely. IF you replace the compressor, it only replaces one side (male I believe) of the connector, so burning/corrosion is still present in the connector, and this will cause the failure to repeat. Eliminating the corroded/burned connector is the only solution I see working long term.

I have been doing some investigative work around
my area and I I have spoken to several other Honda
Civic owners and I am coming to the realization that
Honda really sucks not only is there the problem
with the AC but how many of you out there also
have paint that has faded and looks like a plastic
layer that wants to peel off and how many of you
have a steering wheel that looks as if somebody got
hungry and started munching on it I've heard about
the visor thank God mine is okay but in speaking to
other Honda Civic owners many of us have the
same problems now when I went to my Honda
dealership of course there was no recall in my area
for the AC however there was a recall on the airbag
as far as my paint fading and peeling supposedly
there was a recall on that but I never received any
information and now it's too late likely excuse and
as far as my steering wheel I know of others that
have the same problem so guys what is Honda
doing really what are they doing my mother has a
1999 Toyota Camry that to this day you freeze in
that car the paint is in perfect condition her car is
immaculate perfect condition you think next time I'll
buy a Honda or will I switch to Toyota well for me
that's a no-brainer the RAV4 is calling my name

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